Archive for the ‘Charles Kettering’ tag

This picture isn’t exactly Washington crossing the Delaware, but its technological significance cannot be downplayed in the history of Cadillac as well as automobiles. To demonstrate the reliability of its new self-starter, Cadillac relied only on the electric motor to propel this four-cylinder Cadillac chassis (loaded with a dozen passengers) around a room in 1912. As to who these 12 gentlemen are, we have no idea. If anyone could shed some light on this dirty dozen, let us know.

The hand-crank, of course, was the way to start a car back in those days, and was also the top injury risk when operating a car. Mike McNessor wrote of a horrible accident that set in motion a chain of events for Henry Leland’s desire to invent a car without an engine crank. The self-starter was a major achievement and was a huge technological advancement. Not only was it convenient, it allowed for more market potential, as those who were not physically up for cranking an engine were able to easily operate a car. Though other self-starters had been made, Cadillac’s was the most feasible, practical and successful at that time.

The main man behind the self-starter was Charles Kettering, and he was featured in the June 1979 issue of Special Interest Autos. Not only did he design and create the electric starter, but he was a pioneer in other fields of technological innovation that helped shape the automotive industry into what it is today. Kettering had many great quotes, but perhaps this one best sums up his philosophy: “It doesn’t matter if you try and try and try again, and fail. It does matter if you try and fail, and fail to try again.”

On February 17, 1911, the first self-starter was installed on a car. The 1912 Cadillac was the first car to feature the revolutionary invention of Charles Kettering, and would prove a major weapon in GM’s attempts to keep up with Ford.

Most men are content doing one thing and doing it well. Charles Kettering, however, did many things well and almost singlehandedly steered the American auto industry toward modernity: He refined the coil ignition system, he developed the electric self-starter, he pioneered fast-drying lacquer paint. Yet all his inventions and advancements came from the one thing he was content to do very well: research. Maurice Hendry told Boss Ket’s tale in SIA #51, June 1979.